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Worker Killed in Trench Cave-In on eve of Workers Memorial Day

Submitted by coshnet on Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:59

Javier Iniguez, of Huntington Park, CA, was killed when a trench collapsed on top of him, burying him in concrete and dirt. The incident occurred on the evening before the annual international commemoration of Workers Memorial Day, remembering workers killed on the job.

Trench collapses are one of the most well-known construction safety hazards and one of the most preventable, but nonetheless common, causes of death on construction sites.

Another young man's life lost due to inadequate safety precautions--another tragic death to be remembered on next year's Workers Memorial Day.

Comments

It's hard believe that we still accept trench cave-ins as "accidents," rather than murder or manslaughter. I would support filing charges against managers responsible. Trenches have been known hazards for decades, and have been the subject of innumerable hearings and fines. These deaths are unacceptable. Perhaps we need a policy change to eliminate OSHA as the sole remedy when this kind of egregious neglect results in a death. OSHA is often a cruel hoax.